BCCI Names Media Veteran Rahul Johri As Its First Chief Executive Officer

In keeping with the RM Lodha panel's proposals to the Supreme Court on the restructuring of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, the BCCI on Wednesday appointed media veteran Rahul Johri as its first Chief Executive Officer.

In January this year, a panel headed by former Chief Justice of India RM Lodha, suggested that the BCCI must be run professionally under a CEO. The panel recommended a cooling off period between successive terms for top officials and suggested ministers and government servants cannot occupy BCCI posts.

While a number of suggestions like one-state-one-unit and no commercial breaks during live matches are being hotly contested by the BCCI, the appointment of a CEO is the first step the Board has taken to perhaps fall in line.

Johri, who will start his BCCI assignment on June 1, was last serving as Discovery Networks Asia Pacific's Executive Vice-President and General Manager for South Asia. Johri will report to the BCCI secretary.

Johri will manage operations, stakeholder management and building robust strategies for further promoting the sport, the BCCI said in a release.

BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur: "In the past one year, BCCI has undertaken various initiatives aimed towards transforming the working of Board in order to make the functioning more robust.

"This endeavour is another initiative aimed in the same direction and will mark as one more milestone towards strengthening the professional working of the BCCI."